Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

British Standards Institution

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend that the BSI will continue to (1) be a full member of the European standards system, and (2) an EU-notified body, post-Brexit; if so, what will be the mechanisms by which those outcomes are achieved; and how they intend that BSI will continue to have an impact on European technical and safety standards post-Brexit.

lord henley: The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the UK’s National Standards Body. BSI is independent of the UK Government and the European standards organisations are independent of the European Union. BSI has made clear its preference to remain a member of the European standards organisations, and thereby to continue in the development of all European standards, including those focusing on technical and safety aspects.We are working with BSI to ensure that our future relationship with the European Standards Organisations continues to support a productive, open and competitive business environment in the UK.Outside its work as the National Standards Body, BSI Group also has a role as a Notified Body providing third-party testing of products. The UK Government recognises the valuable role of third-party testing in providing confidence. We want to ensure that UK companies have the maximum freedom to operate within European markets, and to let European businesses do the same in the UK.

Brexit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address reports of falling confidenceamongst business leaders with regard to Brexit.

lord henley: The joint agreement reached in December, which confirmed a shared desire to make progress on an implementation period; and that sufficient progress had been made to progress to phase two of negotiations for exiting the EU, was widely welcomed by businesses and has helped business optimism. Business optimism is also driven by confidence in the long-term performance of the economy. The Industrial Strategy, published by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last year, sets out a long-term vision of an economy that boosts productivity and earning power throughout the UK.

Post Offices: Cash Dispensing

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Post Office branches provide automatic telling machines for customers.

lord henley: The Post Office provides a network of around 2,500 free to use ATMs in its branches. Also, through an agreement with all major banks, cash withdrawal and deposit banking services are available over the counter in every one of its 11,600 branches. This means that over 99 per cent of UK personal bank customers and over 95 per cent of SME customers can do their day-to-day banking at the post office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Asim Omer

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whentheir last meeting with representatives of the government of Sudan to discuss the case of Asim Omer was held.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the condition of Asim Omer following reports that he is on hunger strike.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information theyhave about whether Asim Omer has had access to legal advice since 20 January while in prison in Sudan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We most recently raised our concerns about Mr Omer's case in a meeting with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 December, when we reiterated our strong opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. Recent focus has been on discussions between the victim's family, and Mr Omer and his supporters. We understand that Mr Omer has had regular access to legal advice as he prepares his appeal. We are aware of reports that Mr Omer began a hunger strike on 22 January, but have not received an assessment of his recent condition.We will continue to monitor Mr Omer's case closely, and are encouraging all sides to reach a resolution.

Homosexuality: Decriminalisation

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to build on their diplomatic activity in Belize and the Seychelles which supported the decriminalisation of consensual same-sex relations in those countries; and what support they currently give and plan to give to the governments of Belize and the Seychelles to help to ensure that decriminalisation leads to equality for LGBT persons in those countries.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to champion the rights of LGBT people. We welcomed the decriminalisation of consensual same-sex activity in both Belize and Seychelles in 2016. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to address discrimination, and to promote diversity and tolerance.In both Belize and Seychelles, the British High Commissions are in close contact with the LGBT community and continue to provide them with advice and support. The British High Commissions, together with our partners in both countries, raise concerns about LGBT rights and equality with the governments at every opportunity.

Syria: Crimes against Humanity

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current and future risk of mass atrocities being committedagainst civilians by the Assad regime in Syria, including in Idlib and Eastern Ghouta.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Assad regime is responsible for the vast majority of civilian deaths in Syria through the disproportionate and indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, and according to the UN Commission of Inquiry, the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools. It has also sought to terrorise civilians through chemical weapons attacks, starvation sieges, and the torture and killing of tens of thousands of arbitrarily detained persons. We are particularly concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Idlib province, where the regime has launched a large-scale offensive displacing up to 200,000 civilians, and a number of airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, have been reported. We are also deeply concerned about the plight of the 400,000 people in Eastern Ghouta, which has been besieged by the regime since October 2013, and where civilians including children are dying from starvation and lack of medical care. There have also been reports of regime chlorine attacks in Eastern Ghouta in recent weeks. We have raised our concerns in the UN Security Council and International Syria Support Group and have called on Russia to use its influence to stop these atrocities.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel about that government's reported attempts to stop repairs and renovations to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made representations to the Government of Israel about any such alleged events. However, in our meetings with the Israeli authorities we regularly raise the need to respect the status quo on the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Iraq: Reconstruction

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Iraq concerning (1) the resumption of international flights to and from Erbil, and (2) the release of funds for the re-building of several war-damaged Iraqi cities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to encourage both the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government to reach agreement over Federal control and joint management of borders and, with that, a resumption of international flights to Kurdistan's airports. The Prime Minister underlined this message in discussions with Prime Minister Abadi during her visit to Iraq on 29 November and in discussions with the Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani on 12 December. The Foreign Secretary and the the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa have relayed this message during conversations with Prime Minister Abadi, the Minister of Interior and Foreign Minister. Our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil are also working with partners to encourage the parties to resolve these issues.We are making the case to the Government of Iraq to release funds to rebuild liberated areas and to implement the economic reforms necessary to attract greater foreign investment.

Turkey: Syria

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to make representations to the government of Turkey regarding its recent attack on Afrin in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are closely following developments in Afrin and the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are in contact with their Turkish counterparts. We recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders. We have urged them to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians, and have stressed the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance can reach the area. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

Turkey: War Crimes

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyare gathering any evidence of war crimes committed by the government of Turkey in the north of Syria and Iraq, as well as within Turkey, since 1988.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government supports work by appropriate bodies to gather evidence of any violations and abuses of international human rights and international humanitarian law by any actor. This includes the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and the UN International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism. It is British Government policy that any judgement on whether war crimes have occurred is a matter for judicial decision, rather than governments or non-judicial bodies.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL4473), what were the results of their discussions at senior levels with the government of Bahrain regarding six particular death sentences; whether they expect that the sentences will in practice be carried out; and whether any conclusions were reached about due process in those cases and in any others still pending.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of the UK's interest in these cases and of the UK's opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. We understand that in these particular cases there is a right of appeal, as there would be in the civilian courts.The National Institute for Human Rights in Bahrain observed the trial and have released statements outlining its findings and ongoing commitment to monitoring these cases. The British Embassy in Bahrain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will also continue to monitor developments.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the autonomy of Hong Kong under the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is being undermined; and what steps they are taking to uphold their international obligations under the Basic Law to ensure the protection of Hong Kong's rights and, in particular, the lawful treatment of democracy activists.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government's most recent six-monthly report on Hong Kong, published in the House on 14 September, makes clear that, while the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework is generally functioning well, important areas are coming under increasing pressure.As I told the House on 24 January, the British Government takes its commitment under the Joint Declaration very seriously. In public statements and in meetings with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, we continue to stress the importance of Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, and that its rights and freedoms should be fully respected.The individual cases of the pro-democracy activists are a matter for the Hong Kong courts. However, the British Government has highlighted its hope that recent criminal proceedings do not discourage lawful protest, or discourage young people engaging in politics in the future. Hong Kong citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of assembly and demonstration under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

Syria: Turkey

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security of the Syrian–Turkish border; whether they have played a practical role in securing the border between Turkey and Syria; and what assessment they have made of the present policy of the United States towards the Syrian-Turkish border, following the statement on 17 January by the Pentagon on the training of local security forces in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are closely following developments on the ground in Syria, including the Turkish operation in Afrin for which it cites security concerns as the basis. The UK has not played a practical role in securing the border between Turkey and Syria. The United States continues to train local security forces, particularly in areas liberated from Daesh but – as Secretary Tillerson said on 17 January – there are no plans for a new 'border force' (as some media had suggested). Ultimately, there will need to be effective security forces in Syria that can protect local populations, augment security in liberated areas and prevent Daesh's re-emergence. That is why it is crucial that there is a national political settlement that provides for this.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between the United Kingdom and Turkey.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK and Turkey enjoy a strong and thriving relationship. We have many shared interests including security and the fight against terrorism, trade, migration and regional stability. British Ministers, including the Prime Minister have regular conversations with their Turkish counterparts and there are frequent ministerial visits in both directions.

Turkey: Christianity

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the freedom to worship for Christians living in Turkey.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Turkish constitution provides for freedom of conscience and religion, and President Erdogan publicly reiterated his commitment to those values at the beginning of this year. Christian communities do report difficulties around education and training, the legal personality of religious bodies and the status of foreign clergy.

Turkey: Prisoners

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any allegations concerning the torture of British citizens held in Turkish Jails.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are not aware of allegations concerning the torture of British nationals currently held in Turkish jails.

Turkey: Prisoners

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of torture in Turkish jails; and whether they have made any representations to the government of Turkey concerning this since 2015.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have noted the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Torture, Nils Melzer, after his visit to Turkey in 2016 and other reports on torture, including by the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch. We have urged the Turkish government to address international concerns in this area.

Iran: Prisoners

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of torture in the Sanandaj prison in the Kurdish majority north-west of Iran; and whether they have made representations on this to the government of Iran.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to be concerned by reports of torture in Iranian prisons, and in particular by reports of deaths resulting from torture of those detained in Sanandaj prison for participating in the recent protests. On 11 January, the Foreign Secretary underlined to Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif that international obligations on human rights should be observed.

Iran: Prisoners

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens, and British citizens holding dual nationality, are currently held in Iranian prisons.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We do not provide information about numbers of British nationals detained in a country when the low numbers involved may lead to individuals being identifiable.

Gaza: Economic Situation

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the government of Israel, and (2) the Palestinian Authority, concerning deteriorating conditions in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise the need to make progress towards a durable solution for Gaza. They press for practical steps to advance reconstruction and economic development with both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the treatment of children in custody; and what discussions they have had about the steps that have been taken to implement the recommendations in the report Children in Military Custody, published after a visit to Israel by UK lawyers in 2012.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Children in Israeli military detention remain a human rights priority for the UK. Officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue with the Israeli authorities most recently on 16 January. Senior officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised this issue with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 8 January. The Minister for the Middle East raised our concerns on this issue with the Israeli Government during his visit to Israel in August 2017. We also raised the issue as part of the UK’s national statement during Israel’s universal periodic review in the UN Human Rights Council.We welcomed progress made in recent Israeli policy amendments, and remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to its practices surrounding children in detention.

Israel: USA

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the speech by the US Vice President, Mike Pence, to the Israeli Knesset on 22 January announcing that the US Embassy would move to Jerusalem by the end of 2019 and stating that “America stands with Israel".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister made clear in her statement of 6 December 2017 that the UK disagrees with the US' plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. The Prime Minister reiterated our position when she spoke to President Trump in December.

Department of Health and Social Care

Radiation Exposure

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are undertaking to safeguard the continued involvement and funding of UK medical physicists on existing European medical radiation protection projects after leavingEuratom.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure the future participation and collaboration of UK medical physicists in European medical radiation safety research projects, and to avoid the potential loss of UK scientific expertise in that area over time.

lord o'shaughnessy: The United Kingdom is a world leader in nuclear research and development and the Government is committed to maintaining and building on our lead in this important field. The Government has indicated that that it wishes to continue collaboration in nuclear research with UK medical physicists and European Union partners. We welcome dialogue with the EU and Euratom on options for future collaboration in this field and look forward to those discussions beginning in due course.

Radiation Exposure

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that patient radiation safety will not be compromised by less regulation of UK healthcare establishments providing patient care when compared to patients in Europe, once the UK has left Euratom.

lord o'shaughnessy: To ensure patient radiation safety in United Kingdom healthcare establishments, the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 will come into force on 6 February 2018. These Regulations implement the medical exposure aspects of a European Directive (2013/59/Euratom) and provide regulation of medical exposures within the UK to the same standards as those of other European Union Member States. The Directive, and these Regulations, are not expected to be revised in the next 15 years.The Government is fully aware of the importance of medical radioisotopes and the reliance on nuclear medicine for diagnostic procedures in the National Health Service. The UK’s ability to import medical isotopes from Europe and the rest of the world will not be affected by withdrawal from Euratom. It is in the interest of both the UK and EU to avoid disruption in the timely access of treatment to patients; and to ensure that cross-border trade with the EU is frictionless as possible. This will be part of the broader negotiations of the UK’s future relations with the EU.

Influenza: Vaccination

lord clark of windermere: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs in England were advised by NHS England to order trivalent anti-flu vaccines in preference to quadrivalent vaccines which provide broader protection against flu.

lord o'shaughnessy: General practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies are responsible for ordering and purchasing flu vaccines for the adult seasonal flu programme (eligible individuals aged 18 years and over) directly from manufacturers. They make a clinical decision on the choice of vaccine for their patients based on the evidence and guidance available at the time of ordering.The Department, NHS England, and Public Health England published the 2017/18 annual flu letter. This letter is sent to all GPs, and includes full details of the forthcoming flu programme including available flu vaccines. The annual flu letter provided details on the availability of both the quadrivalent vaccine and trivalent vaccine for the 2017/18 season. GPs and pharmacists had the option of ordering either the quadrivalent vaccine or the trivalent vaccine. A copy of the letter is attached.



Annual Flu letter
(PDF Document, 507.89 KB)

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to mandate NHS England to ensure that community advice services are established to provide advice to patients suffering from the impact of long-term use of dependence forming medication.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no plans to mandate NHS England to establish community advice services for this purpose. The Government is currently developing its approach to the mandate to NHS England for 2018-19, in light of the extra £2.8 billion to 2019/20 provided through the Autumn Budget to support the National Health Service. Both NHS England and Healthwatch England are involved in its development as statutory consultees.The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.

NHS: Pensions

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have any plans to amend the NHS pensions regulations to allow new staff of wholly owned subsidiaries of NHS Foundation Trusts to join the NHS Pension Scheme.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no current plans to amend the NHS Pension Scheme regulations. While each case would need to be considered on its own merits, wholly owned subsidiaries could apply for Scheme membership for any new staff who are eligible. To be eligible, these new staff would have to be employed under a standard National Health Service sub-contract to the NHS standard contract held by the NHS foundation trust, and in a role that wholly or mainly (more than 50%) relates to the delivery of clinical services to patients under that contract.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a public consultation willbe included as part of theircurrent review of the impact of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756).

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what time limit was given to stakeholders to respond to their current review of the impact of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756).

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend toextendthe deadline for responding to the consultation as part of their current review into the impact of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756).

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why their review on the impact ofthe National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756) does not cover the implementation ofthe National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/2025).

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has no plans to include a public consultation as part of the review of ‘The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017’ (the 2017 Amendments). The Department ran a consultation ‘Making a fair contribution: consultation on the extension of charging overseas visitors in and migrants for using the NHS in England’ in early 2016. This covered many of the areas included in the 2017 Amendments. The Government published its response in February 2017.The Department initially sent a list of review questions on 22 December 2017 to several organisations with a deadline of 31 January 2018 for the submission of evidence to be returned.The Department does fully recognise the need to ensure that sufficient time is provided for both evidence collection and analysis. The end of January deadline was chosen so that the Department could seek to identify the main impacts of the amendment regulations on vulnerable groups as early in the review process as possible. This will allow more time to further explore these impacts with stakeholders, within the timeframe of the review that has been set out.The Department has responded to questions from stakeholders about the deadline by saying ‘we recognise that the end of January deadline may not be possible for all organisations due to the issues you have raised. As we previously stated, we are therefore willing to be flexible on this deadline, so while we would appreciate organisations submitting their responses as soon as possible, we will of course still consider the information in responses that are submitted after that.’ The Department has made it clear that evidence submitted within a timeframe that allows it to be taken into account as part of the review will be considered.The Department has also committed to continue to work with stakeholders to monitor the effects of the charging regulations on vulnerable groups after the review process has concluded. Therefore, if new evidence concerning the impact of the impact of the 2017 Amendments is presented to the Department, after the time at which it can be considered as part of the review process, it will be considered in accordance with the Secretary of State’s ongoing duties.The Department does not see any reason to change the position, outlined above, which has already been communicated to stakeholders.The Department has undertaken a review of the 2017 Amendments in line with continuing public sector equalities duty, and also in response to concerns that have been raised by stakeholders. The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 were minor amendments in respect of errors identified by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. Given that there have not been recent concerns raised by stakeholders about these amendment regulations the Department does not feel it necessary to review them.

Life Expectancy

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Office for National Statistics' recent figures projecting a decline in life expectancy in certain areas of the UK, in particular in industrial areas; what assessment they have made of the possible causes for this decline; and what further plans they have, if any, to help to ensure health equality in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not produce life expectancy projections for sub-national areas of the United Kingdom. Their current national projections do not project a decline in life expectancy in the UK as a whole, or in any of its constituent countries.The ONS estimates of life expectancy for recent time periods do show falls in some local authorities. Care needs to be taken when analysing and interpreting local authority data as their small populations mean their life expectancy is subject to fluctuations from year to year. Public Health England is continuing with work to understand recent trends and geographic patterns to establish if there are factors that can be addressed.We are acting to reduce health inequalities by addressing the social causes of ill health, promoting healthier lifestyles for all and tackling differences in access and outcomes of National Health Service services, all underpinned by legal duties. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities.

Encephalitis

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis forms a part of medical training in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: Curricula for undergraduate medical training are set by individual medical schools and by the relevant medical Royal College for postgraduate training, and have to meet the education standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC).Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to deal effectively with whatever is presented to them, in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses of conditions such as encephalitis and treatment plans for their patients.The current review of postgraduate curricula by the GMC provides an opportunity to ensure curricula reflect general professional capabilities and to ensure all training requirements are met.

Encephalitis

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to improve the medical training on the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: Curricula for undergraduate medical training are set by individual medical schools and by the relevant medical Royal College for postgraduate training, and have to meet the education standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC).Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to deal effectively with whatever is presented to them, in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses of conditions such as encephalitis and treatment plans for their patients.The current review of postgraduate curricula by the GMC provides an opportunity to ensure curricula reflect general professional capabilities and to ensure all training requirements are met.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whichcross-government funds include funding classified as Overseas Development Assistance.

lord bates: The Prosperity Fund and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund both spent Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2016, according to Statistics on International Development. The Empowerment Fund is also a cross-government fund with funding classified as ODA but there was no ODA spending from this fund in 2016 which is the latest year for which statistics are currently available.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the UK's total Overseas Development Assistance is disbursed via the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

lord bates: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund spent £601 million of official development assistance (ODA) in 2016. This accounts for 4.5 per cent of the UK total UK ODA.

Global Challenges Research Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of OfficialDevelopment Assistance is disbursedthrough the Global Challenges Research Fund.

lord bates: In 2016 (the latest year for which data is published), the Global Challenges Research Fund delivered £72.4 million of ODA spend which was 0.54% of the government’s total ODA spend..

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difficulties preventing Palestinian and Israeli young people meeting each other; whether they intend to discuss the matter with leaders on both sides; andwhat consideration they have given to adapting their aid and development programmes to meet this need, in the interests of long-term peace.

lord bates: UK officials made clear to both the Israeli and Palestinian leadership at the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee meeting on the 31 January 2018 that concrete actions from all sides are required to build trust and improve the situation on the ground for ordinary citizens. HMG officials have assessed that there is a range of difficulties in achieving engagement between Palestinian and Israeli youth, including movement and access restrictions for both communities, and entrenched social norms. The UK Government consistently calls on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK is providing support to fund a people-to-people programme to help Israelis and Palestinians work together to achieve tangible improvements in their lives, foster inter-community understanding and help build constituencies for a just and peaceful political solution. This three year programme – People for Peaceful Change – will include work with young leaders.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in determining the amount of aid for Pakistan in 2018–19 of £345 million, what consideration, if any, was given to (1) the reported assistance given to the Afghan Taliban by that country's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, (2) the amount spent on nuclear weapons per annum by that country, (3) the amount per annum spent on defence, (4) Pakistan's rating by Transparency International, (5) the use of the death penalty there, and the number of prisoners awaiting execution, (6) the number of juveniles sentenced to death, (7) recent death sentences for blasphemy, (8) the practice and legal status of female genital mutilation, (9) the intimidation of journalists who criticise Pakistan's military, and (10) the 2016 Amnesty International report listing Pakistan in the top ten worst countries in the world for human rights abuses.

lord bates: Helping to ensure a prosperous and stable Pakistan is critical for the future of millions of poor Pakistanis, and the stability and security of both the region and the UK. The UK is helping Pakistan improve its basic services, reduce poverty, and promote equality. Our funding helps strengthen institutions, develop markets and build systems for a self-sufficient and better governed country. DFID’s work supports wider UK objectives by helping to reduce threats to the UK which may emanate from Pakistan linked to extremism, illegal migration and foreign national offenders in the UK of Pakistan origin. Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of commitment to our Partnership Principles, including to promote and safeguard human rights. We no longer provide General Budget Support to Pakistan. Instead, where it is effective and efficient to work through government systems, we direct our support towards specific areas such as health and education sectors. UK aid programmes which provide funding through the Government only proceed when the Government of Pakistan provides most of the funds itself, commits to increase its own spending, and delivers results; and when we know UK aid is protected from corruption. DFID and the FCO continue to raise the issue of human rights of minorities at the highest levels of Government. No UK aid funds nuclear programmes in Pakistan, either directly or indirectly. It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on matters relating to intelligence or national security and we are not aware of any reliable data that is available on Pakistan’s nuclear programme expenditure.

Gaza: Natural Gas

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with interested parties about the commercial development of the offshore gas field at Gaza, together with related infrastructuressuch as transport facilities.

lord bates: Whilst the UK has not had any recent discussions on this subject, we have in the past encouraged discussions between interested parties about the commercial development of the offshore gas field in Gaza. We are currently engaging with relevant stakeholders to discuss the development of infrastructure for enhanced water and electricity supply in Gaza.

Asylum: Drugs

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they have made for essential medication to be available to displaced people on their migration journey before they arrive in the UK.

lord bates: The UK is providing essential medical care to vulnerable migrants and refugees on their journeys towards Europe and beyond. By the end of 2016 for example, UK aid had supported over 300,000 first aid interventions and medical consultations as part of the Mediterranean migration crisis response. We have also been at the forefront of medical relief provision to displaced people in areas affected by conflict. For instance, the UK has helped provide over 10.3 million medical consultations and over 8.3 million vaccines across Syria and the region since 2012. The UK has also welcomed over 9,300 refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme since it began in 2014. All refugees that are referred by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for potential resettlement undergo a Health Assessment in the region. Details are passed to receiving local authorities so they can ensure that suitable treatment can be provided upon arrival.

Department for Education

Educational Institutions: Sefton

lord fearn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools and colleges have been (1) closed, and (2) amalgamated, in Sefton during the last five years to date.

lord agnew of oulton: In the last five years to date, one school (St Ambrose Barlow Catholic College) has closed without replacement provision. There has been one amalgamation/merger (Hugh Baird College and South Sefton College) which resulted in the closure of South Sefton College. There have also been five academy conversions in this time. Details are outline in the table below. Establishment NameReason Establishment Closed Close DateSt Thomas Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy Converter[1]31/10/2017Stanley High SchoolFor Academy[2]31/08/2017Hillside High SchoolFor Academy28/02/2015Litherland High SchoolFor Academy28/02/2015St Ambrose Barlow Catholic CollegeClosure31/08/2016St Michael's Church of England High SchoolFor Academy31/10/2014South Sefton CollegeResult of Amalgamation/Merger*01/12/2017 This data was obtained from Get Information About Schools (GIAS). The responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the Department for Education, local authorities and schools. It changes each day as data is removed and uploaded therefore we are unable to guarantee complete accuracy. *Merged with Hugh Baird College [1] ‘Academy Convertor’ is a previously Ofsted rated ‘outstanding’ maintained school that has voluntarily converted to an Academy.[2] ‘For Academy’ refers to schools which have closed to become academies following the issue of a Direct Academy Order in response to an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating.

Ministry of Justice

Air Displays: Shoreham

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria were used by the Legal Aid Agency in determining that the families of victims of the Shoreham air show crash were not entitled to financial support when other parties involved in the inquest will have state supported legal representation.

lord keen of elie: The Director of Legal Aid Casework (DLAC) must have regard to the Lord Chancellor’s guidance set out under section 4(3) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offender’s Act (LASPO) 2012. The criteria applied by the Legal Aid Agency are outlined under Section 10 of LASPO. The DLAC must also determine whether an applicant meets the financial eligibility test as provided in the Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013 and the merits criteria set out in the Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013. The families’ representatives have asked the Legal Aid Agency to review the decision but have requested more time to submit further evidence.

Liverpool Prison: Inspections

lord fearn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when was HM Prison Liverpool inspected in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.

lord keen of elie: HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) undertook an Inspection of HMP Liverpool on 4-15 September 2017. The report of that inspection was published on 19 January 2018. We take the views of our independent scrutiny bodies very seriously. We published the action plan in response to the report published on 19 January 2018 on the same date and will ensure that agreed recommendations are implemented swiftly. There was no Inspection of HMP Liverpool by HMIP in 2016.

Probation: Standards

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following critical reports by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Probation; and in particular,whether they intend to review the management of the probation service.

lord keen of elie: We take the views of our independent inspectorates very seriously. We have established a team in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to ensure that agreed recommendations are implemented swiftly and lessons are learned. Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service (NPS) develop action plans in response to the inspection reports and HMPPS closely monitors their implementation. We recognise that CRC performance needs to improve. We have already changed contracts so that payments to CRCs more accurately reflect the costs of delivering services to offenders, and we are discussing with providers further improvements we might make to services.

Public Sector: Disclosure of Information

baroness stowell of beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Keen of Elie on 22 January (HL Deb, col 832) on non-disclosure agreements and gagging orders, what they are doing to satisfy themselves that, in the public sector, taxpayers and licence-fee payers are not paying, through the use of settlement agreements, for wrong doing or management failures to be covered up when it is in the public interest for such matters to be exposed.

lord keen of elie: I am sorry that I cannot add to the Answer I gave the Noble Lady on 22 January. The Government has committed to look at the structures around non-disclosure agreements and the evidence that is coming forward about how they are being used.

Asylum: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of the legal aid budget for legal representation for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to the protection of vulnerable children, especially in cases where children lack adequate parental support. Legal aid remains available for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children for both legal help with interviews and legal representation during the asylum appeals process, subject to a means and merits assessment. The majority of unaccompanied refugee children applying for permission to remain in the UK will be seeking asylum, and legal aid will therefore be available.

Berwyn Prison

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the occupancy rate for HM Prison Berwyn.

lord keen of elie: On 31 January 2018 HMP Berwyn held 863 prisoners and an operational capacity of 930. There is a phased programme in place which expects to see the prison reach a capacity of 1020 by the end of March 2018.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their compliance with the UK’s human rights obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to housing under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ratified by the UK in 1976, in relation to (1) rough sleepers, (2) the hidden homeless, and (3) other homeless people.

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) assessment they have made, and (2) what representations they have received, concerning the access to legal redress of (a) rough sleepers, (b) the hidden homeless, and (c) other homeless people, in circumstances where their human rights have been infringed.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Department has not made any assessment of compliance nor has it received any representations concerning the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights or access to legal redress of rough sleepers, the hidden homeless and other homeless people.However, we are clear that one person without a home is one too many. We are committed to do more to prevent more people becoming homeless in the first place.That’s why we are implementing the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act. It significantly reforms England’s homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.This Government is committed to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. We will now be working to create a cross-Government rough sleeping strategy to achieve our commitment.

Religious Hatred: Islam

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 22 January (HC Deb, col 18), that they are giving £144,000 of support jointly to the Holocaust Educational Trust and the Union of Jewish Students to tackle anti-Semitism, prejudice and intolerance on university campuses, how much money they are allocating, if any, to Muslim groups in the UK for tackling Islamophobia.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Hate crime of any kind, directed against any community, race or religion has absolutely no place in our society. Action Against Hate, the UK Government's Plan for tackling hate crime sets out how the Government will tackle this divisive crime. We have given since 2011 £1.9 million to Tell MAMA to tackle anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia. Tell Mama also offers support to victims and works with the criminal justice agencies to bring perpetrators to justice. We also provide £85,000 to the StreetWise 'Stand UP' project which works in schools to tackle anti-Muslim hatred and anti-Semitism.

Ministry of Defence

China: Aircraft Carriers

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of China's aircraft carrier capabilities, both now and in the future.

earl howe: We continue to monitor and make assessments on a variety of international maritime capabilities that could pose a potential threat to UK interests both now and in the future. For security reasons we do not comment on specific assessments.

Russia: Information Warfare

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to counter Russian information operations (1) on the battlefield, and (2) in the air.

earl howe: As the Prime Minister made clear in her speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet last year, the UK will do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and work with our allies to do likewise. The UK has deployed a battlegroup to Estonia as a framework nation for NATO's enhanced forward presence, and has made regular deployments of Typhoon fighter aircraft conducting NATO air policing. This contribution to Alliance missions demonstrates our commitment to the principle of collective defence and is a measured response to the security challenge posed by Russia.We know that the Kremlin persistently uses disinformation as a tool to destabilise perceived enemies. This is not new and was evident in Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, its rhetoric around Syrian regime backed chemical weapons attacks on innocent civilians, and remains so with Russia's destabilisation of east Ukraine and beyond. The best defence against disinformation is a free, wide and varied media landscape. To this end, the UK Government is spending approximately £100 million over five years including in Eastern Europe, for the purpose of countering Russian disinformation.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to trial hot ground refuelling for F35 Lightning aircraft.

earl howe: UK F-35 aircraft are already conducting hot ground refuelling.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contracts include provisions to allow all aircraft covered bythose contractsto be part of the core fleet.

earl howe: Yes.

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to centralise and computerise HM ships maintenance records, which are currently held in documents on board ships.

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current retention period for data on the maintenance of HM ships.

earl howe: The service and maintenance records of Royal Navy warships, submarines and the majority of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's ships are held centrally and electronically, and kept for up to 10 years.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what currencies support contracts for the F35B aircraft will be denominated.

earl howe: Support for all F-35 aircraft is being developed and established by the US-based F-35 Joint Program Office, through the Global Support Solution. This will service all F-35 partner nations, including the UK. Support contracts will therefore be denominated in US dollars.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government where major support work for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft will be carried out; and in what currency the contracts will be denominated.

earl howe: Initial support for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft will be provided in the USA as part of the foreign military sale arrangement with the US Government.As preparations are still at an early stage, and commercial negotiations have not yet taken place, it is not possible to provide any further details including the likely location of support work, or the currency of the contracts.

Apache AH-64 Helicopters

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government where major support work for the AH-64E helicopters will be carried out; and in what currency the contracts will be denominated.

earl howe: An initial two-year support package for the AH-64E helicopter will be provided by the US Government as part of the foreign military sales agreement through which the helicopters will be supplied. This will be denominated in US dollars.The invitation to negotiate for long-term training and support, beyond the initial package, was issued to Boeing Defence UK in December 2017. We do not expect to place the contract until 2020 and a decision on the currency denomination will form part of the negotiation process.No decision has yet been made on the location of the support work.

Army: Vehicles

lord robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many panel display screens have been purchased for army vehicles in the last five years; and at what cost.

earl howe: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

World War I: Anniversaries

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any,they have to commemorate the centenary of the raid on Zeebrugge on 23 April 1918.

earl howe: To mark the centenary of the raid on Zeebrugge, the Royal Navy will be supporting two commemorative events in Belgium and Dover in April 2018.

Merlin Helicopters

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manytraining flying hours have been completed in Merlin HC3 helicopters in each of the last three years.

earl howe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster) in the House of Commons on 16 November 2017 to Question 111823. This was subsequently amended on 29 November 2017.Additional to the hours shown, Commando Helicopter Force also conduct Merlin Mk3 Simulator training.



WQnA extract on Military Aircraft Helicopters
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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Non-native Species

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent in the 2016–17 financial year on biosecurity measures relating to invasive non-native species, broken down by (1) policy functions, (2) inspectorate functions, (3) technical support functions, for example, risk assessments and diagnostics, (4) response functions, including control activities, and (5) research.

lord gardiner of kimble: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) spent £3.8m on invasive non-native species in 2016/17 including both direct costs and apportioned support staff and overheads. APHA do not keep the split as requested but can further subdivide the cost between direct costs (£2.2m) and apportioned support staff and overheads (£1.6m).

Plants: Disease Control

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent in the 2016–17 financial year on biosecurity measures relating to plant diseases and pests, broken down by (1) policy functions, (2) inspectorate functions, (3) technical support functions, for example, risk assessments and diagnostics, (4) response functions, including control activities, and (5) research.

lord gardiner of kimble: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) spent £13.2m on plant and tree diseases in 2016/17 including both direct costs and apportioned support staff and overheads. APHA do not keep the split as requested but can further subdivide the cost between direct costs (£10.1m) and apportioned support staff and overheads (£3.1m).

Trees: Disease Control

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent in the 2016–17 financial year on biosecurity measures relating to tree diseases and pests, broken down by (1) policy functions, (2) inspectorate functions, (3) technical support functions, for example, risk assessments and diagnostics, (4) response functions, including control activities, and (5) research.

lord gardiner of kimble: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) spent £13.2m on plant and tree diseases in 2016/17 including both direct costs and apportioned support staff and overheads. APHA do not keep the split as requested but can further subdivide the cost between direct costs (£10.1m) and apportioned support staff and overheads (£3.1m).

Home Office

Detention Centres

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 16 January (HL 4481), how many immigration detention estate Independent Monitoring Board reports for 2016 they have not yet replied to.

baroness williams of trafford: There were eleven Independent Monitoring Board reports they’ve all been published. Ministerial responses will be provided shortly.

Telecommunications Cables: Theft

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the problem of cable theft in the UK’s communications industry.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government works closely with industry on resilience issues which include understanding better the impact of cable theft on communications networks. In relation to cables that are made of, or contain metal, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 provides a strong legislative basis for helping to prevent and tackle such theft by making it more difficult for criminals to dispose of stolen metal.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Fire and Rescue Services

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect a decision to be made on the proposals by five police and crime commissioners to take on the functions of fire and rescue authorities under the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: Six PCCs have submitted proposals to take on governance of local fire and rescue services (Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, West Mercia, Cambridgeshire and North Yorkshire). Five of these did not have agreement from the relevant local authorities and so in November 2017 the Secretary of State commissioned independent assessments of the proposals in accordance with the legislation. These assessments have now been received and decisions will be announced in due course.

Asylum: Finance

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the replacement of the Azure card by the Aspen card for asylum seekers was publicised.

baroness williams of trafford: In order to publicise the replacement of the Azure card we wrote to all service users informing them of the change, and what the implications were for them. We briefed service providers and the voluntary sector about the forthcoming change to ensure that advice and guidance was available in case of difficulty.

Deportation: West Africa

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals deported from the UK to (1) Nigeria, and (2) Ghana, have identified as (a) lesbian, (b) gay, (c) bisexual, or (d) transgender, since 2 October 2012.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of people deported to (1) Nigeria, and(2) Ghana, raised their LGBT status as a factor in their applications to remain in the UK, since 2 October 2012.

baroness williams of trafford: Answer:While the information relating to sexual orientation and gender identification of foreign nationals subject to removal from the UK is not routinely recorded, the Home Office remains committed to publishing information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientation.A report, based on experimental statistics and covering the period between July 2015 and March 2017, has been published in November 2017. The full report can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/663468/asylum-claims-basis-sexual-orientation.pdfThe department does not hold pre-July 2015 data in a reportable format.The overall numbers of people removed from the UK to Nigeria and Ghana are available on the Immigration Statistics website and the latest release can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#returns



Asylum Claim Report 
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Deportation: West Africa

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the individuals who were scheduled to be on the charter flightgoing to Nigeria and Ghana, leaving from Stansted Airport on 28 March 2017 had disclosed that they feared persecution due to their sexual identity or gender identity were they to be deported.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the individuals who weredue to be on the charter flight going to Nigeria and Ghana which wasscheduled to leave Stanstead Airport on 28 March 2017, how many (1) remain in the UK,and (2) still have legal applications to remain in the UK; of such applications how many (a) relate to asylum claims, and (b) relate to claims that a deportation would be contrary to Article 3 of theEuropean Convention on Human Rights.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the data requested in a reportable format and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Knives: Crime

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of measures in place to tackle knife crime; and what other measures they are considering to prevent more children and young people from carrying knives and other lethal weapons.

baroness williams of trafford: Tackling knife crime is a priority for the Government. We continue to encourage police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. We hosted an all force briefing event on Operation Sceptre on 23 January and a record 41 police forces have committed to take part in the next action planned for the week commencing 12 February.We have consulted on new legislation to further tighten the law in relation to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation was closed on 9 December and we are now considering the responses.We have also agreed a set of commitments with major retailers to prevent the underage sales of knives more generally in their stores and online.We have awarded £765,000 from the new anti-knife crime community fund launched in October 2017 to support local communities to tackle knife crime, especially supporting work with young people. We announced the 47 successful bids in December.We are supporting intervention work in hospital emergency departments by providing funding to Redthread to develop its infrastructure and to pilot its youth violence intervention work in hospitals in Birmingham and Nottingham.We will be launching a national anti-knife crime prevention media campaign this Spring.We will also be publishing a new Serious Violence Strategy shortly.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Procurement

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the European Commission concerning its Note to Stakeholders of 18 January on Withdrawal of the UK and EU rules in the field of Public Procurement;and what discussions they are having with UK businesses in the light of this.

lord young of cookham: The December guidelines published by the European Council point to the shared desire of the EU and the UK to make rapid progress on an implementation period, with formal talks beginning very soon. We have been clear that this should be based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations, during which the UK and the EU would continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer given by Lord Young of Cookham on 15 January(HL Deb, col 471),which department or government body was responsible for assessing the financial stability of Carillion; and whether the assessment took into consideration the substantial goodwill element within that company's asset base.

lord young of cookham: It is the responsibility of individual Contracting Authorities to assess the financial stability of potential suppliers as part of normal procurement activity.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Young of Cookham on 15 January (HL Deb, col 471), whether the joint and several liability that applies to all parties to the six joint venture contracts they let to groups in which Carillion was a shareholder will transition all of Carillion's obligations and liabilitiesto other joint venture partners without further cost or negative consequence; whether the stress testing of financial capacity of contractors to take on additional governmentwork included an assessment of joint and several underwriting; and whether Carillion was judged capable of taking on the obligations of its joint venture partners if they failed.

lord young of cookham: Our Priority is the continuity of public services. Contractually, the partners to those Joint Ventures are required to deliver the requirements of the Joint Venture if one of the partners fails. We routinely stress-test contracts to ensure that if one party within a contract fails to deliver, the other parties involved will step in to complete the work. Individual contracts for these Joint Ventures are not held centrally.

Women and Equalities

Females: Employment

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address gender discrimination at work and to increase the proportion of women in senior roles.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government strongly supports gender equality and condemns discrimination on the grounds of gender. That is why we are committed to review non-disclosure agreements and any evidence that is coming forward about how they are being used. The Government will also be publishing guidance on employee dress codes, so that employers and employees are aware of how these may constitute discrimination or lead to harassment in the workplace.We are also committed to increasing diversity on FTSE boards and in senior executive roles. There is a higher percentage of women on company boards than ever before – more than doubling in the last six years. However, we need to maintain momentum and that is why we are supporting the work of the business led, Hampton-Alexander Review and their voluntary targets for 33% FTSE 350 board directors and senior executives to be women by 2020.